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AS WE head to the final quarter of 2016, I have to say I’ve always felt that a year only starts when St Brigid’s Day has come, and it has all but ended when the All-Ireland football final has been played. I think it’s worth reflecting how successful the celebration of the centenary of […]

Read MoreComments Off on 1916 centenary year full of so many great events

BILLY Gillen was impatient. You see, it was the day of the All Ireland hurling final and Billy, as usual, had a ticket for the match. Having arrived at Central Station at 8.30am he found there was a queue stretching out to the street. One of the ticket booths was unmanned and one of […]

Read MoreComments Off on The train, the pub, the match: it’s All-Ireland day again

Patrick McKeown was born on March 16, 1854 and, as was the custom in those days of high infant mortality, he was baptised the following day, St Patrick’s Day, in St Michael’s Catholic church near Dromara, Co Down. In all probability you will never have heard of Patrick McKeown. That comes as no surprise, […]

“OH, my name is McNamara, I’m the leader of the band. Although we’re small in number, we’re the best band in the land.” These are the opening lines of the famous song McNamara’s Band. When I was growing up this song vied in our neck of the woods with The Boys from the County […]

Read MoreComments Off on When McNamara’s Band were kings of the local music hall

On the morning of Tuesday, March 11, 1873, crowds of people made their way to Lower North Street. They went there to see the damage done by fire to the Alhambra. The Royal Alhambra Music Hall, probably Belfast’s first, was opened in 1871. In two short years it was playing to full houses every […]

Operation Hopenot was many years in the planning. This was the name given to the planned state funeral of Winston Churchill. When the 90-year-old former leader died on January 24, 1965 Operation Hopenot swung into operation. Six days later after a three-day lying-in-state in the Palace of Westminster, the funeral took place in St […]

Read MoreComments Off on Churchill death the spark for Casement reinterment